From all across the basketball world, we follow the stars to the bright lights of LA. Welcome to NBA All-Star 2026.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
NBA All-Star 2025: Everything you need to know for basketball’s big LA weekend
Castrol Rising Stars: A mix of top rookies and sophomores clash tonight (9 ET, Peacock)
Ruffles Celebrity Game: Keegan-Michael Key, GloRilla, Shams and more welcome All-Star back to LA (7 ET, ESPN)
Thursday Recap: LeBron’s one-of-a-kind triple-double, new Bucks player shines again, Blazers roll
Creator Cup: Chris Staples, Tyy2.0, Sparky and Bree Green team up to win the Cup
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Kia MVP Ladder is out today, making room for one new contender in the Top 10: Kawhi Leonard joins the chase just as Clipper Nation welcomes the basketball world to Intuit Dome.
De’Aaron Fox earned his 2nd All-Star selection Thursday, being named a replacement for Giannis (calf) and joining team USA Stripes, with Norman Powell (Jamaican ties) moving to Team World.
All-Star Is Here: Get more from All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles on the NBA App. Don’t have the NBA App? Download it here.
- Tonight: Ruffles All-Star Celebrity Game at Kia Forum (7 ET, ESPN) & Castrol Rising Stars at Intuit Dome (9 ET, Peacock) – There’s still time to secure your tickets here using promo code NEWS26
- Saturday, Feb. 14: NBA All-Star Saturday at Intuit Dome (5 ET, NBC & Peacock)
- Sunday, Feb. 15: The 75th NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome (5 ET, NBC & Peacock)
1. LA HOSTS THE 75th ALL-STAR WEEKEND: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
Over the next 3 days, hoops takes Hollywood.
More precisely, Inglewood, where the LA Clippers and Intuit Dome are about to host one of the biggest weekends in sports — and some of the biggest names in the world.
- What To Know: NBA.com’s All-Star 2026 hub is your place for all the details, including the All-Star Game’s new global format, the full weekend schedule, the official event guide and FAQ section and live updates for all the latest moments from LA
- Three Teams of All-Stars: Here’s how the game’s biggest names are sorted out for Sunday…
- Team USA Stars’ average age is 24.8 years old, featuring such young standouts as Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham and Tyrese Maxey
- Team USA Stripes’ roster has 76 combined All-Star selections, led by LeBron (22), KD (16) and Steph (12)
- Team World boasts 3x MVP Nikola Jokić, as well as do-everything big men Victor Wembanyama, Alperen Sengun & Karl-Anthony Towns
- Ludacris, Shaboozey and K-pop group CORTIS highlight the weekend’s entertainment, also featuring the first-ever live performance of “Roundball Rock” by John Tesh
- Largest Party: Basketball fans from a record 56 countries are set to attend this weekend, while fans in 214 countries and 50 languages will have access to All-Star broadcasts. More than 200 global content creators with a combined following of over one billion will also be on site
Don’t miss these marquee All-Star Weekend events, beginning tonight with the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Kia Forum (7 ET, ESPN), followed by the Castrol Rising Stars at Intuit Dome (9 ET, Peacock).
Tomorrow, one of sports’ biggest nights arrives with All-Star Saturday Night (5 ET, NBC/Peacock), featuring three marquee events.
- The State Farm 3-Point Contest features five 2026 All-Stars, past winner Devin Booker, Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, Jamal Murray and Norman Powell, up against two-time winner Damian Lillard and first-timers Kon Knueppel and Bobby Portis
- Kia Shooting Stars returns to All-Star 2026 with four teams of three – featuring two NBA players and one NBA legend – that reflect All-Star connections, school and team affiliations, and family ties. Team All-Star, Team Cameron (Duke), Team Harper and Team Knicks go head-to-head in this shooting display
- AT&T Slam Dunk will crown a new slam dunk king from a field of four first-time flyers: Carter Bryant (Spurs), Jaxson Hayes (Lakers), Keshad Johnson (Heat) and Jase Richardson (Magic), son of two-time Slam Dunk champ Jason
All-Star 2026 culminates with the 75th All-Star Game on Sunday, with two teams of U.S. stars taking on Team World at Intuit Dome (5 ET, NBC/Peacock).
- Game 1 (5 ET): Team World vs. Team USA Stars
- Game 2 (5:55 ET): Game 1 winner vs. Team USA Stripes
- Game 3 (6:25 ET): Game 1 loser vs. Team USA Stripes
- Championship (7:10 ET): The two best records from round-robin play face off
2. CASTROL RISING STARS: PREVIEW TONIGHT’S ROOKIE-SOPHOMORE SHOWCASE
The NBA’s annual showcase of its top young talent takes place tonight (9 ET, Peacock), with a mix of rookies, sophomores and select G League talent jumping it up, tournament style.
- How It Works: Castrol Rising Stars features four teams in a single-elimination semifinal, followed by a winner-take-all championship
- Three NBA Squads: Three teams are comprised of NBA rookies and sophomores, as drafted by Hall of Famers and honorary head coaches Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter
- One G League Entry: The fourth team is made up of players who’ve logged minutes in the G League this season, with 12-year vet Austin Rivers as honorary coach
- First-To Format: In each semifinal, the first team to reach 40 points wins. The championship is a race to the target score of 25 points
Melo, T-Mac and VC drafted their seven-man squads from a pool of 21 NBA Rising Stars, rookies and sophomores alike, chosen by NBA assistant coaches.
- The first three draft selections mirrored this season’s Kia Rookie Ladder chase, with the top-3 contenders going in order: Cooper Flagg (Team Melo), Kon Knueppel (Team T-Mac) and VJ Edgecombe (Team Vince)
- Roster Updates: With Flagg (foot) and Alex Sarr (hamstring) out, Ace Bailey (Team Melo) and Bub Carrington (Team T-Mac) join the showcase. Zaccharie Risacher was previously named a replacement for Ajay Mitchell
- VJ At 3: Just like the splash he’s made for the Sixers this season, netting the 2nd-most total clutch points (64) among rookies this season, Edgecombe has shown tournament takeover potential for Team Vince
Speaking of takeovers, reigning Rising Star MVP and current Western Conference Player of the Week Stephon Castle is back as a sophomore for Team Melo, carrying a hot hand from his 40-point triple-double on Feb. 7.
- Teammate Connections: Castle lines up with his Spurs teammate Dylan Harper, from a draft featuring three young Wizards, as well as promising Pelicans’ pair Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears
- Rising 3-Peat: Chicago sophomore Matas Buzelis (Team Vince) checks in for his third Rising Stars game, having now competed at all levels, as a G League selection in 2024 and as a rookie last year
- G-League’s Finest: Blazers’ rookie Yang Hansen headlines the showcase. Heat two-way guard Jahmir Young will join Hansen as a replacement for Mac McLung (calf) and David Jones Garcia (ankle)
Here’s a look at the mini-tournament pitting these four squads against each other:
- Game 1 (9 ET): Team Melo vs. Team Austin (G League)
- Game 2 (9:55 ET): Team Vince vs. Team T-Mac
- Rising Stars Championship (10:35 ET): (Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner)
3. RUFFLES CELEBRITY GAME: GLORILLA, SHAMS AND MORE HIT THE HARDWOOD
Picture this — multi-platinum rapper GloRilla dishing the ball to 7-foot-6 former NBA player Tacko Fall for a thundering alley-oop.
Now imagine reality TV star Taylor Frankie Paul crossing up All-Pro NFL wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown en route to a smooth layup.
Anything is possible on the Hollywood-filled hardwood tonight (7 ET, ESPN) when the Ruffles All-Star Celebrity Game tips off at Kia Forum. Icons from sports and entertainment will collide to show off their games.
- Artists: Badshah, Mustard, GloRilla, Dylan Wang
- Actors: Simu Liu, Rome Flynn, Taylor Frankie Paul, Nicolas Vansteenberghe, Keegan-Michael Key
- Athletes: Andre De Grasse (Olympics), Jeremy Lin (NBA), Amon-Ra St. Brown (NFL), Keenan Allen (NFL), Cafu (FIFA), Tacko Fall (NBA), Jason Williams (NBA)
- Creators/Personalities: Cody Jones, Jenna Bandy, Adrien Nunez, Shams Charania
- NBA Executives: Mat Ishbia (Suns), Rich Schnall (Hornets)
Star power is plenty present on the sidelines, too.
- Family Affair: Giannis Antetokounmpo teams up with brothers Thanasis and Alex to try their hands at coaching alongside four-time World Series champion Mookie Betts
- Taking Charge: Actor/comedian Anthony Anderson, NBA shooting coach Lethal Shooter and top NBA trainer Chris Brickley will also be coaching
The City of Angels last hosted the All-Star Celebrity Game in 2018. That night, the Katie Nolan-coached Team Clippers won, 75-66, over the Rachel Nichols-coached Team Lakers.
- Walk It, Talk It: Quavo was named MVP with 19 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals with 7-for-10 shooting
- Up, Down: Before the game, Justin Bieber had a friendly push-up contest with then-11-year-old YouTube star and trainer Demarjay Smith
Tonight, the fun begins.
4. THURSDAY RECAP: LEBRON’S HISTORIC TRIPLE-DOUBLE, BUCKS & BLAZERS ROLL
Lakers 124, Mavericks 104: LeBron (28 pts, 10 reb, 12 ast) logged his first triple-double of the season and Rui Hachimura (21 pts) and Austin Reaves (18 pts, 6 ast) backed him as the 5th-place Lakers never trailed by more than 2 to hit the break with a W. | Recap
- Uncharted Territory: LeBron is now the oldest player to record a triple-double in NBA history, as the first to do so at age 41. His 123rd career triple-double is his third since turning 40
- “Just wanted to get a little bit more energy, a little more pep in my step,” LeBron said of his performance. “Going into the break, definitely want to go in with a win.”
- Dallas Duo: Naji Marshall matched Max Christie’s Mavs-high 19 points before exiting with a foot injury after 29 minutes
Bucks 110, Thunder 93: In his third game with the team, Ousmane Dieng (19 pts, 11 reb, 6 ast) led seven Bucks in double figures as Milwaukee never trailed after the opening bucket (3-0) and held the defending champs to a season-low in points. | Recap
- All-Star Send-Off: With Jalen Williams out (hamstring), Isaiah Joe (17 pts) led OKC, while Chet Holmgren logged 16 points and 13 boards before heading to his first All-Star Game
- Nikola Topić, OKC’s 12th pick from 2024 Draft, scored his first career bucket after missing nearly first two seasons, getting a standing ovation from the OKC faithful as he checked in
Blazers 135, Jazz 119: Jrue Holiday (season-high 31 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast) and Donovan Clingan (23 pts, 18 reb, career-high 7 ast) combined for 17 of Portland’s 40 3rd-quarter points, taking and building a lead they would not surrender. | Recap
- Glass Control: Ahead of his Rising Stars run for Team Melo, Clingan (3rd in rpg and 1st in orpg) helped Portland gain 23 2nd-chance points
- All-Star-Worthy Lob: Brice Sensabaugh (28 pts) led Utah, with Ace Bailey adding 15 points, 8 boards and a slick self-lob, before his flight to LA for Rising Stars
Checking in with the regular-season standings at the break:
5. CREATOR CUP: CHRIS STAPLES LIFTS HIS TEAM TO THE TITLE
Sixteen of the world’s top basketball content creators formed four teams for a 3v3 tournament to decide the PlayStation NBA Creator Cup last night at the LA Convention Center.
This Creator Cup followed the Rising Stars mini-tournament format, with a single-elimination semifinal, followed by a winner-take-all championship.
- Team LSK vs. Team Cam: Team captain Cam Wilder sank this midrange jumper to complete Team Cam’s comeback victory in Game 1
- Team Staples vs. Team Raye: Game 2 belonged to Chris Staples, powering his group to the final matchup
Championship: Team Staples’ Chris Staples, Tyy2.0, Sparky and Bree Green overpowered Team Wilder 21-13 to win the 2026 Creator Cup, with Sparky clinching the victory
- Staples Shines: Chris Staples’ two-game push to win the Cup garnered its own highlight mix
- Team Cam’s Whit3 Iverson aced the Big Shot Challenge between games
Catch all the behind-the-scenes moments from Creator Cup Court in this full event story.
Want to share Starting 5 with a friend? Send them this link.
Shape the Starting 5. Email us here.
Don’t have the NBA App? Download it here.
